It's been about a month since I last wrote, and so many wonderful things have been happening in music. I'm in the midst of adding a round of shows to my calendars at www.glennabell.com and at www.myspace.com/glennabell and www.sonicbids.com/glennabell. This Thursday (October 4) from 6-8 pm CT, I'll be at the Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Houston, as the first artist to kick off The Pink Carpet Acoustic Music Series. This one looks to be a lot of fun. The Hard Rock will be rolling out the Pink Carpet (literally!) and raffling off an Ovation acoustic guitar. I aim to get a good crowd of Houstonians out to hear some live acoustic music in a venue known for rock 'n' roll--so please help me spread the word. I'll write more about the other shows as those dates draw nearer, but in the meantime I want to mention that my new album, The Road Less Traveled, is now ready to be manufactured and released in January '08. I have posted some songs on my Web sites, as well as the beautiful cover photo by Amy Morris at www.glennabell.com (design by Hank Schyma of The Southern Backtones). I hope that you will take a few minutes to check it all out because I'm certainly proud of the array of talent that has gone into this record. It is, in my opinion, my best work to date, so I can hardly wait for you to hear it. The Road Less Traveled is already getting regular air play on KNON 89.3 FM Dallas, Americana OK in Edinburgh, Scotland (which is being syndicated to 140+ radio stations worldwide), and at WOJB FM 88.9 in Hayward, Wisconsin, whose Music Director, Jeffrey Jones, says, "I find your music some of the most intriguing coming out of Texas these days. Your songwriting, voice and the way you deliver a song is haunting, and your songs resonate long after they are played." So much news, so little time. I'm about to pack up and head over to a studio across town to record tonight with a new talent on the rise, Carrie Ann Buchanan. And I got a call yesterday from Andy Bradley at Sugar Hill Studios, Houston, letting me know that the new book he's co-writing with Roger Wood is scheduled for publication in 2009 by UT Press, and it's time to sign contracts since I will be mentioned in the book and will be featured on the accompanying CD compilation, which will include hit songs that were originally recorded at the studio. (My rendition of Willie Nelson's "The Family Bible" is also on The Road Less Traveled and available for listening at glennabell.com.) And last but not least, I am very happy to announce that I have been invited to perform with one of my biggest music heroes, Shake Russell, who has written some of the best songs in the world, one of which became a #2 country hit by Ricky Skaggs ("You've Got a Lover") and another that was recorded as a duet by Waylon Jennings and his wife, Jessi Colter ("Deep in the West"), not even to mention the great ones recorded by Clint Black and many others. I have so enjoyed the music and videos on Shake's myspace page at www.myspace.com/shakerussellband, which is like a little time capsule of Texas music history . . . I will keep you posted on our upcoming performance and everything else--as always. Y'all come!